Bone From Apostle Stolen From Church

A bone believed to be from one of the 12 apostles was stolen from a Greek Orthodox church in Lowell earlier this week.

Police are hoping some public attention will help track down a 2,000-year-old relic.

"It's a relic of St. Andrew --- a very small, small bone of the saint," said the Rev. Demetrios T. Costarakis, of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church.

He said that the relic was passed down through many generations and that the church acquired the bone about six years ago. Sometime between Sunday's service and Monday afternoon, someone went into the chapel and stole the bone, Costarakis said.

"(We are) worried that the individual or individuals who might have taken this do not know how holy and how serious this is," Costarakis said.

Mosaics in the sanctuary attest to the importance of the saint in the Greek Orthodox faith.

"There is a sense of awe. There is a sense of veneration that we prostrate ourselves for and we venerate these beautiful relics of the saints, and we ask them for their intercessions to God," Costarakis said.

A new lock was put on the chapel door on Friday, Costarakis said.

"Whoever took it -- I hope he has second thoughts and returns it," church member John Gkolias said.

"I would just ask that person or those people to bring them back -- no questions asked," Costarakis said.